Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:
Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.
For more information about the legislative process, see here.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2019 | CA | AB 936 | Amends Environmental Protections Relating to Heavy Crude Oils | Bill Passed - House (45 - 19) |
| May 23, 2019 | CA | AB 792 | Increases Recycled Plastics Percentages Used in Plastic Beverage Bottles | Bill Passed - House (50 - 15) |
| May 23, 2019 | CA | AB 161 | Prohibits Paper Receipts | Bill Passed - House (43 - 24) |
| May 21, 2019 | CA | SB 307 | Prohibits Water Transfers from Desert Groundwater Basins | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 11) |
| Aug. 31, 2018 | CA | SB 901 | Requires Utilities to File Wildfire Mitigation Plans | Conference Report Adopted - House (49 - 14) |
| Aug. 28, 2018 | CA | SB 100 | Increases the State Renewable Energy Target | Bill Passed - House (44 - 33) |
| May 29, 2018 | CA | SB 836 | Prohibits Smoking on State Beaches | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| May 17, 2018 | CA | AB 1668 | Requires Water-Use Targets | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 26) |
| May 10, 2018 | CA | AB 1668 | Requires Water-Use Targets | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| March 5, 2018 | CA | AJR 29 | Expresses Opposition to Executive Offshore Drilling Proposal | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 5) |
| Feb. 8, 2018 | CA | AJR 29 | Expresses Opposition to Executive Offshore Drilling Proposal | Bill Passed - House (56 - 9) |
| July 17, 2017 | CA | AB 398 | Extends California's Cap-and-Trade Policies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 22) |
| July 17, 2017 | CA | AB 617 | Establishes Air-Quality Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (50 - 24) |
| July 17, 2017 | CA | AB 398 | Extends California's Cap-and-Trade Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (28 - 12) |
| July 17, 2017 | CA | AB 617 | Establishes Air-Quality Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 13) |
| May 31, 2017 | CA | SB 100 | Increases the State Renewable Energy Target | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| April 6, 2017 | CA | SB 1 | Increases Gas and Vehicle Taxes to Pay for Road and Bridge Repairs | Bill Passed - House (54 - 26) |
| April 6, 2017 | CA | SB 1 | Increases Gas and Vehicle Taxes to Pay for Road and Bridge Repairs | Bill Passed - Senate (27 - 11) |
| Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 11) |
| Aug. 31, 2016 | CA | SB 859 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels | Bill Passed - House (51 - 20) |
| Aug. 24, 2016 | CA | SB 32 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 13) |
| Aug. 24, 2016 | CA | AB 197 | Establishes the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 30) |
| Aug. 23, 2016 | CA | SB 32 | Reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions Levels | Bill Passed - House (48 - 31) |
| Aug. 22, 2016 | CA | AB 197 | Establishes the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change Policies | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 13) |
| Sept. 4, 2015 | CA | AB 888 | Prohibits the Sale of Products Containing Plastic Microbeads | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 14) |
| June 3, 2015 | CA | SB 32 | Establishes Certain Greenhouse Gas Emission Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 15) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 270 | Prohibits Retailers from Using Single-Use Carryout Bags | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (22 - 15) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | AB 1739 | Amends Groundwater Laws | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (47 - 28) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1168 | Requires Sustainability Plans for Groundwater Usage | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (25 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Authorizes Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Certain Water Basins | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (24 - 10) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1168 | Requires Sustainability Plans for Groundwater Usage | Bill Passed - House (47 - 27) |
| Aug. 29, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Authorizes Groundwater Sustainability Plan for Certain Water Basins | Bill Passed - House (48 - 26) |
| Aug. 28, 2014 | CA | SB 270 | Prohibits Retailers from Using Single-Use Carryout Bags | Bill Passed - House (45 - 31) |
| Aug. 27, 2014 | CA | AB 1739 | Amends Groundwater Laws | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 11) |
| Aug. 25, 2014 | CA | SB 270 | Prohibits Retailers from Using Single-Use Carryout Bags | Bill Failed - House (38 - 33) |
| Aug. 21, 2014 | CA | AB 1699 | Prohibits the Sale of Products Containing Microplastics | Bill Failed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| May 28, 2014 | CA | SB 1319 | Expands Prevention and Response Programs for Oil Spills | Bill Passed - Senate (23 - 12) |
| May 23, 2014 | CA | AB 1699 | Prohibits the Sale of Products Containing Microplastics | Bill Passed - House (47 - 13) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | SB 359 | Appropriates Funds for Hybrid and Zero Emission Vehicle Use | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (27 - 10) |
| Sept. 12, 2013 | CA | SB 359 | Appropriates Funds for Hybrid and Zero Emission Vehicle Use | Bill Passed - House (53 - 20) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (55 - 20) |
| Aug. 30, 2012 | CA | AB 1478 | Appropriates Funds for State Parks for 2 Years | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 12) |
| April 26, 2012 | CA | AB 2405 | Authorizes Low-Emission Vehicles to Use HOV Lanes | Bill Passed - House (49 - 25) |
| Sept. 9, 2011 | CA | SB 292 | Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 7) |
| Sept. 7, 2011 | CA | SB 292 | Authorizes Governor to Expedite Environmental Review | Bill Passed - House (63 - 13) |
| June 2, 2011 | CA | SB 568 | Recycling Polystyrene Food Containers | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 15) |
| Aug. 31, 2010 | CA | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | Bill Failed - Senate (14 - 21) |
| Aug. 30, 2010 | CA | AB 234 | Marine Oil Shipping Regulations | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (45 - 28) |
| Aug. 23, 2010 | CA | AB 234 | Marine Oil Shipping Regulations | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 14) |
| June 2, 2010 | CA | AB 1998 | Ban of Single-Use Carryout Bags in Certain Stores | Bill Passed - House (42 - 27) |